Watch the Fox X-Men films in release order from X-Men (2000). Days of Future Past (2014) rewrites the timeline, which makes chronological order confusing on a first watch. Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) carries the Fox characters into the MCU, and the animated series sit on their own timeline.
- Titles
- 18
- Films
- 14
- Series
- 4
- Watch time
- 109 hours
- Box office
- $7.42 billion
- Avg IMDb
- 7.3
X-Men movies in release order
Here is every X-Men (Wolverine) title in the order it came out, 1992 to 2024: 14 films and 4 series. Optional entries are marked; you can skip them on a first watch.
| # | Title | Year | Type | Runtime | IMDb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | X-Men: The Animated Series | 1992 | Series | 26h 4m | 8.4 |
| 2 | X-Men | 2000 | Film | 1h 44m | 7.3 |
| 3 | X2: X-Men United | 2003 | Film | 2h 13m | 7.4 |
| 4 | X-Men: The Last Stand | 2006 | Film | 1h 44m | 6.6 |
| 5 | X-Men Origins: Wolverine optional | 2009 | Film | 1h 47m | 6.5 |
| 6 | X-Men: First Class | 2011 | Film | 2h 12m | 7.7 |
| 7 | The Wolverine | 2013 | Film | 2h 6m | 6.7 |
| 8 | X-Men: Days of Future Past | 2014 | Film | 2h 12m | 7.9 |
| 9 | Deadpool | 2016 | Film | 1h 48m | 8 |
| 10 | X-Men: Apocalypse | 2016 | Film | 2h 24m | 6.8 |
| 11 | Legion optional | 2017 | Series | 22h 37m | 8.1 |
| 12 | Logan | 2017 | Film | 2h 17m | 8.1 |
| 13 | The Gifted optional | 2017 | Series | 21h 34m | 7.2 |
| 14 | Deadpool 2 | 2018 | Film | 2h | 7.6 |
| 15 | Dark Phoenix optional | 2019 | Film | 1h 54m | 5.7 |
| 16 | The New Mutants optional | 2020 | Film | 1h 34m | 5.3 |
| 17 | X-Men '97 | 2024 | Series | 10h 30m | 8.7 |
| 18 | Deadpool & Wolverine | 2024 | Film | 2h 8m | 7.5 |
X-Men timeline: movies in chronological order
The same titles in story order, by when they take place, with the year or era each one is set in.
| # | Title | Set in | Released |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | X-Men: First Class | 1962 | 2011 |
| 2 | X-Men: Days of Future Past | 1973 & 2023 | 2014 |
| 3 | X-Men Origins: Wolverine | 1845–1979 | 2009 |
| 4 | X-Men: Apocalypse | 1983 | 2016 |
| 5 | Dark Phoenix | 1992 | 2019 |
| 6 | X-Men | Early 2000s | 2000 |
| 7 | X2: X-Men United | Early 2000s | 2003 |
| 8 | X-Men: The Last Stand | 2006 | 2006 |
| 9 | The Wolverine | 2013 | 2013 |
| 10 | Deadpool | 2016 | 2016 |
| 11 | The New Mutants | Present day | 2020 |
| 12 | Deadpool 2 | 2018 | 2018 |
| 13 | Logan | 2029 | 2017 |
| 14 | Deadpool & Wolverine | 2024 | 2024 |
| 15 | Legion | Parallel world | 2017 |
| 16 | The Gifted | Parallel world | 2017 |
| 17 | X-Men: The Animated Series | 1990s | 1992 |
| 18 | X-Men '97 | 1990s | 2024 |
Release or chronological: which order is best?
Release order and story order disagree on 18 titles here. In release order you start with X-Men: The Animated Series (1992); in story order you start with X-Men: First Class, set in 1962, which came out 19 years later.
First time through, watch in release order. That is how the twists, returning characters and callbacks were built to land, and later entries assume you have seen the earlier ones. On a rewatch, try story order. It turns X-Men into one continuous story and makes the prequels play as setup instead of backstory.
X-Men also runs 2 separate continuities: The TV series and The animated universe. Each has its own line on the timeline, so you can watch them on their own without breaking the main story.
Where to start
Start with X-Men: The Animated Series and go in release order, skipping the 5 optional titles on the first pass.
The essentials are 13 titles and about 59 hours, 45% less than the full run.
The three highest rated: X-Men '97 (8.7), X-Men: The Animated Series (8.4), and Legion (8.1).
Every X-Men movie, explained
One entry per title in release order: what it is about, why it matters to the bigger story, who is in it and how it did.
No. 01 · 1992 · Series · 26h 4m · 17th in story order
X-Men: The Animated Series
The X-Men are an elite team of mutants, genetically gifted human beings with superpowers, sworn to fight for mutant rights against hostile Government agencies, whilst at the same time protecting mankind from mutant supremacist Magneto who seeks to destroy the human race in return for the atrocities committed against mutant kind.
Why it matters: The 1992 cartoon, its own continuity.
- Starring
- Cedric Smith, Norm Spencer, and Catherine Disher
- Creator
- Eric Lewald
- Scores
- IMDb 8.4 · Rotten Tomatoes 83%
- Episodes
- 76 across 5 seasons
No. 02 · 2000 · Film · 1h 44m · 6th in story order
X-Men
Two mutants, Rogue and Wolverine, come to a private academy for their kind whose resident superhero team, the X-Men, must oppose a terrorist organization with similar powers.
Why it matters: The 2000 film that started the Fox series.
- Starring
- Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, and Ian McKellen
- Director
- Bryan Singer
- Box office
- $296 million on a $75 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 7.3 · Rotten Tomatoes 82%
No. 03 · 2003 · Film · 2h 13m · 7th in story order
X2: X-Men United
Professor Charles Xavier and his team of genetically gifted superheroes face a rising tide of anti-mutant sentiment led by Col. William Stryker. Storm, Wolverine and Jean Grey must join Magneto and Mystique to unhinge Stryker's scheme to exterminate all mutants.
Why it matters: Often called the best of the original trilogy.
- Starring
- Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, and Ian McKellen
- Director
- Bryan Singer
- Box office
- $408 million on a $110 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 7.4 · Rotten Tomatoes 85%
No. 04 · 2006 · Film · 1h 44m · 8th in story order
X-Men: The Last Stand
When a cure is found to treat mutations, lines are drawn amongst the X-Men led by Professor Charles Xavier, and Magneto's Brotherhood of Mutants.
Why it matters: Ends the original trilogy; Days of Future Past later undoes much of it.
- Starring
- Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, and Ian McKellen
- Director
- Brett Ratner
- Box office
- $459 million on a $210 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 6.6 · Rotten Tomatoes 56%
No. 05 · 2009 · Film · 1h 47m · 3rd in story order · optional
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
After seeking to live a normal life after 200 years, Logan sets out to avenge a death by undergoing the mutant Weapon X program and becoming Wolverine.
Why it matters: Logan's origin; widely skipped.
- Starring
- Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, and Danny Huston
- Director
- Gavin Hood
- Box office
- $373 million on a $150 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 6.5 · Rotten Tomatoes 37%
No. 06 · 2011 · Film · 2h 12m · 1st in story order
X-Men: First Class
Before Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr took the names Professor X and Magneto, they were two young men discovering their powers for the first time. Before they were arch-enemies, they were closest of friends, working together with other mutants (some familiar, some new), to stop the greatest threat the world has ever known.
Why it matters: The 1960s origin of Charles and Erik; the earliest story in the Fox timeline.
- Starring
- James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, and Jennifer Lawrence
- Director
- Matthew Vaughn
- Box office
- $354 million on a $160 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 7.7 · Rotten Tomatoes 86%
No. 07 · 2013 · Film · 2h 6m · 9th in story order
The Wolverine
Wolverine faces his ultimate nemesis - and tests of his physical, emotional, and mortal limits - in a life-changing voyage to modern-day Japan.
Why it matters: Logan in Japan after The Last Stand.
- Starring
- Hugh Jackman, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Tao Okamoto
- Director
- James Mangold
- Box office
- $415 million on a $120 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 6.7 · Rotten Tomatoes 70%
No. 08 · 2014 · Film · 2h 12m · 2nd in story order
X-Men: Days of Future Past
The ultimate X-Men ensemble fights a war for the survival of the species across two time periods as they join forces with their younger selves in an epic battle that must change the past – to save our future.
Why it matters: Joins the young and old casts and rewrites the timeline; essential.
- Starring
- Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy, and Michael Fassbender
- Director
- Bryan Singer
- Box office
- $748 million on a $250 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 7.9 · Rotten Tomatoes 90%
No. 09 · 2016 · Film · 1h 48m · 10th in story order
Deadpool
The origin story of former Special Forces operative turned mercenary Wade Wilson, who, after being subjected to a rogue experiment that leaves him with accelerated healing powers, adopts the alter ego Deadpool. Armed with his new abilities and a dark, twisted sense of humor, Deadpool hunts down the man who nearly destroyed his life.
Why it matters: Ryan Reynolds' fourth-wall-breaking mercenary; works on its own.
- Starring
- Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, and Ed Skrein
- Director
- Tim Miller
- Box office
- $783 million on a $58 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 8 · Rotten Tomatoes 85%
No. 10 · 2016 · Film · 2h 24m · 4th in story order
X-Men: Apocalypse
After the re-emergence of the world's first mutant, world-destroyer Apocalypse, the X-Men must unite to defeat his extinction level plan.
Why it matters: The young team in the 1980s.
- Starring
- James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, and Jennifer Lawrence
- Director
- Bryan Singer
- Box office
- $544 million on a $178 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 6.8 · Rotten Tomatoes 47%
No. 11 · 2017 · Series · 22h 37m · 15th in story order · optional
Legion
David Haller, AKA Legion, is a troubled young man who may be more than human. Diagnosed as schizophrenic, David has been in and out of psychiatric hospitals for years. But after a strange encounter with a fellow patient, he’s confronted with the possibility that the voices he hears and the visions he sees might be real.
Why it matters: A surreal FX series about Charles Xavier's son; optional.
- Starring
- Dan Stevens, Rachel Keller, and Aubrey Plaza
- Creator
- Noah Hawley
- Scores
- IMDb 8.1 · Rotten Tomatoes 91%
- Episodes
- 27 across 3 seasons
No. 12 · 2017 · Film · 2h 17m · 13th in story order
Logan
In the near future, a weary Logan cares for an ailing Professor X in a hideout on the Mexican border. But Logan's attempts to hide from the world and his legacy are upended when a young mutant arrives, pursued by dark forces.
Why it matters: Wolverine's final chapter in 2029; best after the main films.
- Starring
- Hugh Jackman, Dafne Keen, and Patrick Stewart
- Director
- James Mangold
- Box office
- $619 million on a $97 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 8.1 · Rotten Tomatoes 93%
No. 13 · 2017 · Series · 21h 34m · 16th in story order · optional
The Gifted
A suburban couple's ordinary lives are rocked by the sudden discovery that their children possess mutant powers. Forced to go on the run from a hostile government, the family joins up with an underground network of mutants and must fight to survive.
Why it matters: A network series about mutants on the run; optional.
- Starring
- Stephen Moyer, Amy Acker, and Natalie Alyn Lind
- Creator
- Matt Nix
- Scores
- IMDb 7.2 · Rotten Tomatoes 79%
- Episodes
- 29 across 2 seasons
No. 14 · 2018 · Film · 2h · 12th in story order
Deadpool 2
Wisecracking mercenary Deadpool battles the evil and powerful Cable and other bad guys to save a boy's life.
Why it matters: Deadpool forms X-Force; sets up his MCU arrival.
- Starring
- Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin, and Morena Baccarin
- Director
- David Leitch
- Box office
- $786 million on a $110 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 7.6 · Rotten Tomatoes 83%
No. 15 · 2019 · Film · 1h 54m · 5th in story order · optional
Dark Phoenix
The X-Men face their most formidable and powerful foe when one of their own, Jean Grey, starts to spiral out of control. During a rescue mission in outer space, Jean is nearly killed when she's hit by a mysterious cosmic force. Once she returns home, this force not only makes her infinitely more powerful, but far more unstable. The X-Men must now band together to save her soul and battle aliens that want to use Grey's new abilities to rule the galaxy.
Why it matters: Jean Grey's story in the new timeline; optional.
- Starring
- Sophie Turner, James McAvoy, and Nicholas Hoult
- Director
- Simon Kinberg
- Box office
- $252 million on a $200 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 5.7 · Rotten Tomatoes 22%
No. 16 · 2020 · Film · 1h 34m · 11th in story order · optional
The New Mutants
Five young mutants, just discovering their abilities while held in a secret facility against their will, fight to escape their past sins and save themselves.
Why it matters: A horror-tinged spin-off; optional.
- Starring
- Blu Hunt, Charlie Heaton, and Maisie Williams
- Director
- Josh Boone
- Box office
- $49 million on a $67 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 5.3 · Rotten Tomatoes 36%
No. 17 · 2024 · Series · 10h 30m · 18th in story order
X-Men '97
The X-Men, a band of mutants who use their uncanny gifts to protect a world that hates and fears them, are challenged like never before, forced to face a dangerous and unexpected new future.
Why it matters: Picks up the 1992 cartoon's story; watch it after the original series.
- Starring
- Terri Douglas, Ray Chase, and Jennifer Hale
- Scores
- IMDb 8.7 · Rotten Tomatoes 98%
- Episodes
- 19 across 2 seasons
No. 18 · 2024 · Film · 2h 8m · 14th in story order
Deadpool & Wolverine
A listless Wade Wilson toils away in civilian life with his days as the morally flexible mercenary, Deadpool, behind him. But when his homeworld faces an existential threat, Wade must reluctantly suit-up again with an even more reluctant Wolverine.
Why it matters: Takes the Fox characters into the MCU.
- Starring
- Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, and Emma Corrin
- Director
- Shawn Levy
- Box office
- $1.34 billion on a $200 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 7.5 · Rotten Tomatoes 77%
X-Men box office and budgets
The 14 X-Men films with reported numbers have grossed $7.42 billion worldwide on about $1.99 billion in combined budgets, roughly 3.7 times what they cost. The biggest is Deadpool & Wolverine at $1.34 billion, 18% of the franchise's total on its own, followed by Deadpool 2 ($786 million) and Deadpool ($783 million).
Measured against what it cost, the best return belongs to Deadpool, which made 13 times its $58 million budget. The weakest was The New Mutants at 73% of its $67 million budget. As a rule of thumb, a film needs about two and a half times its budget at the box office to cover marketing and the theaters' cut.
The best and worst rated X-Men movies
Across 18 rated titles, X-Men averages 7.3 on IMDb. The top of the list is X-Men '97 at 8.7, then X-Men: The Animated Series (8.4) and Legion (8.1). At the bottom: The New Mutants (5.3) and Dark Phoenix (5.7). Money and quality don't line up perfectly: the highest grosser, Deadpool & Wolverine, is only the 9th best rated.
- X-Men '978.7 · RT 98%
- X-Men: The Animated Series8.4 · RT 83%
- Legion8.1 · RT 91%
- Logan8.1 · RT 93%
- Deadpool8 · RT 85%
- X-Men: Days of Future Past7.9 · RT 90%
- X-Men: First Class7.7 · RT 86%
- Deadpool 27.6 · RT 83%
- Deadpool & Wolverine7.5 · RT 77%
- X2: X-Men United7.4 · RT 85%
Who appears in the most X-Men movies
Hugh Jackman leads with 8 appearances as Logan and Wolverine, ahead of Patrick Stewart (5) and Ian McKellen (4). Counted from each title's top-billed cast.
| Actor | Role | Titles | First and latest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hugh Jackman | Logan / Wolverine | 8 | X-Men (2000) to Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) |
| Patrick Stewart | Xavier / Professor Charles Xavier | 5 | X-Men (2000) to Logan (2017) |
| Ian McKellen | Magneto / Eric Lehnsherr | 4 | X-Men (2000) to X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) |
| Famke Janssen | Jean Grey / Phoenix | 4 | X-Men (2000) to The Wolverine (2013) |
| Halle Berry | Storm / Ororo Munroe | 4 | X-Men (2000) to X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) |
| Anna Paquin | Rogue / Marie | 4 | X-Men (2000) to X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) |
| Ryan Reynolds | Wade Wilson / Wade | 4 | X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) to Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) |
| James McAvoy | Charles Xavier / Professor Charles Xavier | 4 | X-Men: First Class (2011) to Dark Phoenix (2019) |
| Michael Fassbender | Erik Lehnsherr / Magneto | 4 | X-Men: First Class (2011) to Dark Phoenix (2019) |
| Jennifer Lawrence | Raven / Mystique | 4 | X-Men: First Class (2011) to Dark Phoenix (2019) |
| Nicholas Hoult | Hank / Beast | 4 | X-Men: First Class (2011) to Dark Phoenix (2019) |
| James Marsden | Cyclops / Scott Summers | 3 | X-Men (2000) to X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) |
X-Men directors and creators
13 filmmakers have directed or created X-Men; Bryan Singer has the most, with 4.
- Bryan SingerX-Men (2000), X2: X-Men United (2003), X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), and X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)
- James MangoldThe Wolverine (2013) and Logan (2017)
- Eric LewaldX-Men: The Animated Series (1992)
- Brett RatnerX-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
- Gavin HoodX-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
- Matthew VaughnX-Men: First Class (2011)
- Tim MillerDeadpool (2016)
- Noah HawleyLegion (2017)
- Matt NixThe Gifted (2017)
- David LeitchDeadpool 2 (2018)
- Simon KinbergDark Phoenix (2019)
- Josh BooneThe New Mutants (2020)
- Shawn LevyDeadpool & Wolverine (2024)
How long it takes to watch every X-Men movie
All 18 titles add up to 109 hours: 28 hours of film and 81 hours of series, counting every episode. That is about 55 two-hour evenings, or 11 days of ten-hour binges. The essentials cut it to 59 hours. The longest film is X-Men: Apocalypse at 2h 24m.
The 4 best rated films: Logan, Deadpool, X-Men: Days of Future Past, and X-Men: First Class.
Everything takes about 4 months; the essentials about 9 weeks.
Track what you've watched on the timeline and it counts the hours left.
Which X-Men movies can you skip?
5 titles can go without losing the main story. They are side stories, spin-offs or entries the later films ignore. Dropping them saves 49 hours.
- X-Men Origins: Wolverine2009 · Film · 1h 47m · optionalLogan's origin; widely skipped.
- Dark Phoenix2019 · Film · 1h 54m · optionalJean Grey's story in the new timeline; optional.
- The New Mutants2020 · Film · 1h 34m · optionalA horror-tinged spin-off; optional.
- Legion2017 · Series · 22h 37m · optionalA surreal FX series about Charles Xavier's son; optional.
- The Gifted2017 · Series · 21h 34m · optionalA network series about mutants on the run; optional.
Common questions
What order should I watch the X-Men movies in?
Watch the Fox X-Men films in release order from X-Men (2000). Days of Future Past (2014) rewrites the timeline, which makes chronological order confusing on a first watch. Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) carries the Fox characters into the MCU, and the animated series sit on their own timeline.
How many X-Men movies and shows are there?
There are 18 titles in the X-Men franchise: 14 films and 4 series, released from 1992 to 2024.
How long does it take to watch all the X-Men movies?
About 109 hours for all 18 titles, counting every episode. The essentials only (13 titles) take about 59 hours.
What is the first X-Men title in chronological order?
X-Men: First Class, set in 1962. In release order the first is X-Men: The Animated Series (1992).
Which X-Men titles can I skip?
X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Dark Phoenix, The New Mutants, Legion, and The Gifted. They are spin-offs, side stories or non-canon entries; the main story holds without them.
What is the best X-Men movie?
By IMDb score, X-Men '97 (2024) at 8.7, followed by X-Men: The Animated Series at 8.4.
What is the highest-grossing X-Men movie?
Deadpool & Wolverine (2024), with $1.34 billion worldwide. X-Men films have made $7.42 billion in total.
Who has appeared in the most X-Men movies?
Hugh Jackman, in 8 of them as Logan.
What is the longest X-Men movie?
X-Men: Apocalypse, at 2h 24m.
Keep reading
Skip guideWhich X-Men movies can you skip?5 titles you can skip- RecapX-Men recap: the story so far18 titles recapped
Skip guideWhat can you skip in Game of Thrones?2 titles you can skip
RecapChainsaw Man recap: the story so far2 titles recapped
Watch order guideHow to watch the One Piece movies in order8 titles · 498 hours
Skip guideWhich Star Wars movies can you skip?5 titles you can skip